


Aftermath

by hoffkk



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Multi, RIP Eddie Thawne, RIP Ronnie Raymond, SnowBarry - Freeform, after the wormhole, season 2 intro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-10
Updated: 2015-09-10
Packaged: 2018-04-20 02:31:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4770245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoffkk/pseuds/hoffkk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Iris points out and teases Barry about his obvious feelings for Caitlin, while helping out in the lab along with her father and Cisco.  This makes Barry confused at first, but then he eventually realizes that he is in love with Caitlin and must tell her so asap.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set after season 1 as sort of an intro to season 2. Hope you all enjoy it! I apologize for any errors.

It had been six months.  Six months since Eddie had killed himself and unknowingly created a giant wormhole.  Six months since Ronnie had died helping Barry to stop it.  Six months since all the wrongs in Barry's life had been righted by getting both his parents back, alive and free.  Barry still couldn't believe it, he had finally accomplished the one thing he had always dreamed of doing, saving his parents, but for the first few weeks, he wasn't so sure it was worth it.  To Barry, it felt like he just exchanged two innocent lives for those of his parents.  He confided as much to Iris and Caitlin one day at Jitters, where both women were quick to assure him of his stupidity, saying how Eddie and Ronnie were grown men who made their own decisions that night and gave their lives for not only Barry's parents, but for the whole team and all of Central City.  This made sense to Barry and made him feel a little better too, but he still couldn't help the feelings of guilt that swam around in his chest at the time, eventually though, those feelings did subside.

Now, six months later, things were actually pretty good.  There was some confusion in the aftermath of the wormhole explosion, but the team quickly figured out that only the people with a strong personal connection to Barry knew exactly what had happened that day and could remember Eobard's presence and all the trouble he had caused.  Meanwhile, everyone else in Central City had no recollection of a wormhole, that Barry’s mom had ever been murdered, or that his dad had been arrested for the crime.  They had no idea why this was so, but were working on figuring it out.  In the meantime, Barry was able to fall back into old patterns as he hung out with the team and solved crimes as both a CSI and The Flash.  The team now officially consisted of Barry, Caitlin, Cisco, Joe, and Iris when need be.  Within the past few months, Barry was able to repair his friendship with Iris, becoming best friends with her once more.  It was like old times all the time now, and Barry loved it.  He was adamant that he would not screw up things between them again.  So, that meant no more secrets and no more "I love you" slips.  Surprisingly, the latter was a lot easier to comply with than Barry had initially thought it would be, but he couldn't figure out why.  It was this thought Barry found himself pondering while he ran a facial recognition search for their latest metahuman.  As he tried to figure out why things seemed different this time around with Iris, his gaze caught Caitlin, hovering over her own computer across the room as she did some research for their current case.  She was bent over the front of the desk, holding herself up with one hand, which was splayed on the desktop beside the keyboard, while the other clasped the mouse and scrolled through the web page she was on.  Her reddish-brown hair cascaded over the front of her shoulders, looking vibrant against the bright, yellow blouse she was wearing.  As she stared intently at the computer screen, Barry noticed Caitlin biting her lip, something he noted her doing more and more often these days.  She only did so when she was nervous, stressed, or worried, so it made Barry feel nervous, stressed, and worried.  He just really wished she would talk to him about it, he tried a couple of times, but she just brushed it off like it was nothing.  Barry knew better, he knew _her_ better, but let it go anyways.  He was still staring at Caitlin when Iris's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Earth to Barry!"  She giggled, waving a hand in front of his face.

"What?  What happened?" Barry asked spinning in his chair to face her.  "Did we get a hit?"  He added, referring to the program he was running as he spared a quick glance at his screen.

"You want a hit?  I'll give you a hit."  Iris stated matter-of-factly, then punched Barry in the side of the arm playfully.

"Ow!"  Barry yelped.  "For real?"  He queried as he rubbed his arm soothingly.  Though the hit was playful, it was a little too hard for Barry's liking.

"Yes, _for real_."  Iris answered, mimicking his tone.  "I was calling your name for, like, five minutes, and you completely ignored me."

"Sorry."  Barry apologized.  "I was... distracted."  He finished vaguely as his eyes flicked back to Caitlin for a brief moment.

"Clearly." She said with a smile as her gaze followed Barry's.

Barry just ignored her teasing, since he was more concerned over Caitlin at the moment.  Noticing her leave the room just then, he decided to take advantage of Caitlin's absence and get some advice from his best friend.

"Has Caitlin said anything to you lately?"  He asked, turning to Iris.

"About what?"  She queried.  "You?"  Iris quickly added in a more playful tone as she crossed her arms and smiled.

"What?"  Barry questioned, momentarily perplexed.  "No...I mean, did she say that anything was bothering her?"

"No, I don't think so."  Iris answered.  "Why?  Did she say something to you?" She tossed back, growing a little concerned about her newest friend.  Being the only two females hanging around STAR Labs these days, Caitlin and Iris have managed to grow quite close and become pretty good friends.  They even started having a weekly girl's night, which they deemed necessary given all the testosterone they were surrounded by on a daily basis.

"It's not something she said, it's...it's her lip."  Barry tried to explain.

"Her...lip?"  Iris said slowly as she furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Yeah, she keeps biting it, which I know she only does when something is bothering her."  Barry clarified and went on as Iris tried not to laugh and failed miserably.  "She keeps fussing with her hair too and...and you're laughing.  Why are you laughing at me?"  He asked, clearly not amused.

"Because you clearly have it bad for that girl."  She smirked.

"Excuse me?"  Barry replied in utter disbelief.

"You heard me."  Iris stated firmly before poking at Barry with both hands and breaking out into a popular children's rhyme.  "Barry and Caitlin sitting in a tree...K-I-S-S--"

"Stop, stop it!"  Barry scolded playfully, pushing her hands away.  "You're wrong."

"Oh really?"  Iris queried as she placed her hands on her hips and quirked a dark brow at her best friend.  "Because you can't stop staring at her and you always light up when she's around, and now you're telling me that you notice all her little ticks like how she bites her lip when she's upset and plays with her hair when she's nervous."

"So?"  Barry responded lamely.

" _So_ , people don't notice those things unless they _really_ care about someone, Barry."  Iris affirmed.

Barry considered her words a moment before shaking it off and shaking his head in defiance.  "I'm a criminalist AND a superhero, Iris.  It's my job to be observant."  He retorted.

"Okay, so then what's your excuse for the staring and the acting all giddy when she's around?"  Iris tossed back.

"I do _not_ act giddy around Caitlin."  Barry assured.  Iris didn't speak, but leveled him with one of her no-nonsense looks as if to say, "Oh, please!"  The two best friends just stared at each other for a moment as Barry thought back to his last few interactions with Caitlin.  He definitely felt happier when she was near him, but he wouldn't say giddy.  No, definitely not giddy, just a little excited and frivolous and at times a bit scatter-brained, but-- Barry immediately stopped his train of thought when he realized that all the words he just used to describe himself were, in fact, synonyms for the word giddy.  Suddenly, Barry didn't want to think anymore...or talk.  He was too afraid of where it could lead.  "You know what?  I'm done talking about this."  Barry asserted.

"Done talking about what?" A deep voice interrupted them.  They simultaneously turned to see Joe West making his way toward them, arms full of bags of Chinese food.  Joe had mentioned earlier that he would stop by with lunch and check in on their progress with the latest metahuman.  Barry just hadn't realized it was that time already, but a quick glance at his watch and a rumble of his stomach told him it was.

"Nothing."  Barry said quickly, hoping to put an end to the conversation, but unfortunately for him, Iris wasn't ready to let the subject drop.

"Barry's feelings for Caitlin."  Iris said immediately after Barry as she walked over to relieve her father from some of the bags. 

Barry helped as well, and as the three set the food down on a small table next to Barry's computer, Joe responded, "Ahhh, so you finally gonna ask her out?"

In the process of pulling containers from one of the bags, Barry heard Joe's comment and almost dropped a quart of mushu pork, but luckily his speediness saved him from making a big mess.  "Wh-what?  Why would I do that?"  Barry stammered.

"Because you have feelings for her.  Was that not already established?"  Joe asked, slightly confused as he looked between the two kids.

"By me, yes,” Iris answered.  "By Barry?  Not so much."  She finished, then sat back down in her chair and started in on a pint of chicken lo mein.

"Because I _don't_ have feelings for her."  Barry tried to convince them, but was starting not to buy it himself.  Truthfully, he was getting really confused about where his feelings for Caitlin actually did lie.

" _Please_!" Joe stated, totally unconvinced.  "You are _so_ gone for that girl."  He added before chowing down on the egg roll he had just dug from its box.

"How would you know?"  Barry inquired, genuinely curious, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Because I know you, and I'm good at my job." Joe explained.  "Not to mention, she's all you ever talk about.

"She is not..."  Barry retorted then paused a moment and thought back to their conversations over the past few days, realizing that Caitlin's name did come up a lot.  Weird.  "You just keep mentioning things that make me think of her is all."  He tried to cover.

"Right."  Joe humored him.  "My bad."  He feigned an apology then grabbed another egg roll.

"I knew I smelled Chinese!" Cisco exclaimed, as he entered the lab, a giant smile spreading across his face.  " _Please_ tell me you ordered some pot stickers."  He added seriously, as his eyes scanned the array of boxes spread out on the table.  Eventually, he spotted the box he was looking for in Iris's lap, so he grabbed a plastic chair and sat it in front of her.  Sitting on it backwards, he leaned one of his forearms against the back of the chair and outstretched his other arm toward Iris saying, "Come to papi!"

Iris was sitting on her chair, criss-cross applesauce style, with a quart of pot stickers between her jegging clad thighs (it was Sunday so she was dressed casually, rather than in work clothes) as she held her lo mein in her hands and ate.  Her eyes met Cisco's after he spotted the container in her lap, and she quickly tossed her chopsticks inside her lo mein box, using her now free hand to grab the quart full of pot stickers.  By the time Cisco finished speaking, she had moved it high above her head out of Cisco's reach.

"Ah, ah, ah..."  Iris scolded playfully.  "Mine."

"Aw, come on."  Cisco whined.  "It's a big box, we can share."  He suggested, giving her one of his adorable Cisco grins that showed all of his teeth.

Iris chuckled and flicked her eyes to Barry who was eating one of Joe's egg rolls and looking relieved that they had finally switched topics.  Not wanting to let him off that easy, Iris decided to bring things back around and make a point as she did so.

"All right, Cisco."  Iris began.  "We can share... but only if you can answer one question correctly."

Cisco eyed her a moment, then replied hesitantly, "Okaaay."  He took a deep breath then gave her a curt nod as he added, "Bring it."

Iris smiled mischievously, then asked, "Who is Barry currently crushing on?"

Without hesitation, Cisco replied.  "Caitlin...duh!"

"For real?"  Barry said, completely exasperated.

Iris ignored him and beamed at Cisco as she spoke, "Thank you, Cisco, you may collect your winnings."

"Okay, seriously, do you have to bring this up to everyone?"  Barry tried again.

After handing the container over to Cisco, Iris turned her attention to her oldest friend.  "Yes, Barry, because I am making a point."

"Which is?" Barry questioned, tone annoyed.

"That _everyone_ knows that you like Caitlin, except _you_...well, and probably Caitlin."  Iris explained.

"I _don't_ like Caitlin!"  Barry all but yelled across the lab.

Iris tried to object, but before she could her father spoke up.

"I think Barry's right."  Joe stated matter-of-factly.

"What?"  Barry asked, stunned at Joe's response.

"What?"  Iris repeated, equally stunned.

"Whahh?"  Cisco questioned along with the others, mouth full of pot sticker.

Joe just shook his head at Cisco as he stifled a laugh, then turned to Barry and said, "Barry, I don't think you _like_ Caitlin."

"Thank you."  Barry said, happy that someone finally agreed with him.

"I think you're in love with her." Joe finished, taking a sip of his coffee to hide his smile.

Cisco laughed, practically choking on his pot sticker at Joe's words; meanwhile Iris just smirked at her dad, then looked to Barry who just stood there looking baffled with wide eyes and mouth hanging open.

Barry was quiet for a long moment as he rubbed the back of his neck and took in Joe's words.  _Me, Barry Allen?  In love??  With Caitlin???_ He couldn't help but wonder if it was true.  One thing was for sure, he was now more than ever confused over his feelings for Caitlin.

"What?  Aren't you gonna try to deny it?"  Iris teased.

Part of Barry wanted to.  It had been so easy before, denying that he liked her, because he knew that deep down his feelings for Caitlin ran deeper, but love?  Did they really run that deep?  More importantly, did Barry want them to?

"I, uh..." Barry hesitated.  He didn't know what to think, let alone say, so he simply answered, "I need some air."  Without waiting for a response, he quickly walked to the door.  As he pushed through the one side of the double door entrance, Caitlin came through the other side.

"Oh, hey, Barry."  She smiled.  "Where you off to?"

"I, uh, um...patrol.  Yeah, gotta patrol.  Bye."  Barry answered awkwardly before speeding down the hall and out of the building.

Caitlin stared at the empty hallway for a second, watching the rustled papers that were awakened by Barry's speed settle back down to the floor.  Her face was full of concern and confusion.  After a couple seconds, she looked in the opposite direction at her other friends suspiciously and asked, "What's with him?"

Joe immediately took a long drink of coffee to avoid answering, while Cisco did the same, shoving two more pot stickers into his mouth.  At the same time, Iris tried her best not to smile as she nestled back into her chair to eat her lo mein, offering a simple shrug in response.

"O-kay."  Caitlin said slowly, announcing each syllable clearly.  She took a few steps forward toward the group, itching to get her hands on some veggie lo mein, when she took one last look back at the door Barry had just exited and bit her lip.  She really hoped he was okay.  Though she figured he probably was and shouldn't worry too much about it, because for some reason, when it came to Barry, she had a tendency to overreact, and she had no idea why.  Caitlin just decided to shrug off all the confusion and worry for now, knowing that she would figure it all out eventually.  Little did she know, eventually would come a lot sooner than she thought.

*****

Barry had snagged his suit before leaving STAR Labs, and true to his word, he patrolled the city.  He patrolled for hours and hours, running as fast as he could, focusing only on his speed and the city around him.  He kept his friends' teasing and Caitlin's smile as far from his thoughts as possible, not ready to deal with his supposed feelings just yet.  He just ran and ran, going faster and faster, almost hoping to outrun the memory of this afternoon, the words his friends spoke, and the confusion and embarrassment that they brought him.

Technically, Barry was still on the clock, so he made sure to check in periodically with his boss at CCPD.  He managed to avoid Joe when he did so, as well as everyone else for the rest of the day.  However, as the day wore on and the sky grew darker, Barry knew he would have to go home eventually, and home was a place where running into friends, well one friend, was unavoidable.

Currently, Barry shared an apartment downtown with Iris.  It was Iris and Eddie's old apartment to be exact.  The first few days after Eddie's death were really rough for Iris, she was barely holding herself together.  Joe had insisted she move back in with him, but Iris refused, reminding him of her lease.  Joe had assured her that he could play bad cop with the landlord and get the lease terminated, one way or another, but Iris again said no.  The truth was, parting with Eddie was hard enough, she didn't want to have to part with the apartment too and all the happy memories it held.  After confiding this little tidbit to Barry one day, he had offered to move in with her.  After all, it was a two bedroom apartment, perfectly appropriate for the cohabitation of two friends.  Plus, he knew it would make Iris feel better and not so alone.  Not to mention, he had put Joe out long enough, living with him for the past several years.  So, Barry was more than happy to offer, and Iris was more than willing to accept since she really needed her best friend around.  They were both secretly worried about things being awkward, but in the end, it turned out to be a pretty good idea.  I mean, they were roommates once before, so they were able to easily and quickly fall into old patterns.  Soon enough, it felt like old times, like nothing had ever changed between them, and they both relished that feeling as much as they could, letting bygones be bygones.

Once the sun went down, Barry headed back to the apartment.  Opening the front door, he walked in to find Iris sitting on the couch waiting for him.  She was in her pajamas, an old CCPD shirt of Eddie's and a pair of rainbow sleep-shorts, reading a book with her feet propped up on the coffee table in front of her.  Barry let out a sigh, then moved to sit down next to her.  As he did so, Iris closed her book and set it down on her lap, careful not to lose her page, and curled her legs up underneath her, angling herself towards Barry.

"Hey."  He said softly, eyes focused on his fidgeting hands rather than her.

"Hey."  Iris repeated back.  It was silent for a long moment, until she spoke once more.  "Look, I'm sorry about earlier.  It wasn't trying to embarrass you."

"Yes, you were."  Barry couldn't help but smirk at her blatant lie.

"Okay, I was,” She amended.  "But I definitely didn't mean for us to gang up on you.  I swear."

"Then why did you?"  He asked seriously, but sounded more confused about it rather than angry.

"I just wanted you to see what I see, what we all see."  Iris tried to explain.

"And what is that, exactly?"  Barry wondered aloud.

"The truth."  She affirmed.  "That you have feelings for Caitlin.  Real, wonderfully romantic, sweetly adorkable, never-wanna-let-her-go feelings."

"Wow."  Barry stated, tone playful yet serious.  "That's quite the description." He added with a half smile.

"Eddie's words, not mine."  Iris smiled sadly, as tears began to pool in the corner of her eyes.

Barry's partial smile immediately faded.  " _Shit_." He scolded himself.  He knew Eddie was still a sensitive topic for Iris, he didn't mean to bring him up.  Not wanting to make things worse, Barry just stayed silent for a moment, deciding to wait until Iris spoke again, whether it be to continue on with her thought or start a new one.  Turns out, he didn't have to wait long, for Iris continued on a few seconds later.

"You know, before everything spiraled out of control with Eobard and stuff, Eddie and I used to talk about setting you up with someone."  Iris told him.

"Really?  Why?"  Barry inquired.

"Because we were so happy together, and we wanted you to have someone that made you that happy... because we care about you." Iris smiled sweetly.  "Besides, you brought us together, so we figured we kind of owed you one."  She added, referring to how they first bonded through watching over a comatose Barry Allen.  Before Barry could say anything, she pressed on.  "The thing was, he always suggested setting you up with Caitlin, saying that you two were a perfect match, that she could be the one to give you _"Real, wonderfully romantic, sweetly adorkable, never-wanna-let-her-go feelings."_ like the ones I gave him."  Iris chuckled lightly as she wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

Barry smiled sadly and grabbed Iris's hand, giving it a comforting squeeze before responding, "So, that's why you've been so headstrong about me and Cait, you wanna set us up...for Eddie."

"Yeah... I guess I figured if I could get you two together, it would be like honoring his last wish or something.  I don't know." Iris shrugged.  "All I do know is that Eddie is only a part of the reason why I am doing this."

"What do you mean?"  Barry questioned.

"I mean, yeah, I'm doing this somewhat for Eddie, but I'm mostly doing it for you, Barry."  Iris clarified, then placed her hand atop Barry's so that hers were both sandwiching his.  "I don't want you to make the same mistake twice."

"Iris--” Barry started, but she cut him off.

"No, let me finish."  She half-asked, half-commanded.  "I know that you loved me once as more than a friend, but you waited too long to tell me, and I had to reject you, and then things got messy..."

"Yeah, thanks for the reminder."  He joked, causing Iris to smack him in the arm playfully. 

Once she placed her hand back on his, she continued, "My point is, you let love get away once already, don't let it slip through your fingers again.  We only get so many second chances in this life..."  Iris trailed off.

"I know."  Barry nodded in agreement.  "I guess, I was just afraid of changing our relationship, but that happened regardless, so the joke's on me."

"Yeah, but everything worked out for the best."  Iris assured.  "And now you have another shot at love with Caitlin, so don't blow it because it may not end as well this time around."

  
"I get what you're saying, Iris," Barry nodded.  "But I just don't know if--"

"Barry!"  Iris all but shouted.  "Don't let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game."

Barry eyed her for a moment then asked, "Is that a quote from your book?"

"No."  She answered, almost a little too quickly, making Barry that much more skeptical.  Maybe it wasn't from her book, but he knew it wasn't an original Iris line.  It sounded too familiar...

"Wait a minute... isn't it from that Cinderella movie?  The one with Hilary Duff--"

"It doesn't matter where it's from."  Iris asserted, making Barry smile broadly.  He totally hit the nail on the head.  "What matters is that you listen to it and take the words to heart."

"I will.  I promise."  Barry vowed.

"Good."  Iris said, then moved to stand. "I'm gonna head back to my room and read, while you collect your thoughts.  Just don't think too much, okay?"  Iris joked.

Barry laughed as he stood up across from her.  "Just go read your book already."  He teased, nudging her shoulder.  She just laughed and shook her head as she walked past him to her room, book in hand.

Once in her room, she shut the door tight and tossed her book aside.  She suddenly had the urge to do something else tonight, something she hadn't done in a long time.  So, she got down on her knees and dug out an old box full of DVDs from under her bed.  Dragging a finger along the spines, she scanned the titles and pulled out the one she was looking for: A Cinderella Story, starring Hilary Duff.  With a little smirk, she popped it into the DVD player and curled up in the middle of her queen-sized bed to watch one of her favorite movies.  It had romance, humor, and _very_ inspiring quotes.

*****

After Iris left, Barry decided to head down the hallway as well to his own room.  Closing the door behind him, he kicked off his converse shoes, and threw himself onto his queen-sized bed, not even bothering to change out of his day clothes, his navy blue sweater and a pair of jeans.  As he stared up at the blank white ceiling, he let out a breath, and finally allowed himself to think about Caitlin Snow.

Ever since they had first met, Barry knew he felt something special for Caitlin.  However, she had been surrounded by so much sadness and anger due to her recent loss, that he didn't allow himself to get too close, for her sake.  Barry knew she needed time to heal, and he respected that because he knew her feelings all too well due to his own experience with loss.  Eventually, though, Caitlin did open up, and they got to know each other better and somewhere along the line became good friends.  Barry had still felt something special for her, but he attributed it to friendship, since he thought he was in love with Iris at the time, and Caitlin was still dealing with her ex, but now...things were different.  They were both single and unattached, and they were both in a good place emotionally.  Nothing was stopping him from being with Caitlin, but did he really want to be with her?

He knew he liked her as more than a friend.  That much became obvious when he met up with her at the karaoke bar that one night and saw her in that amazing black dress.  His eyes had nearly popped out of his head, but it wasn't just her looks that Barry found himself attracted to.  He also loved her brilliant mind, her bravery, and her compassion.  He even loved her stubbornness and tendency to be uptight about things.  Yes, he loved all these things about her.  Why?  Because he loved _her_.

"Whoa."Barry commented to himself as his body flew upward into sitting position.  "I love Caitlin." He ran a hand through his dark hair as he digested this new realization.  It was one thing for Joe and Iris to say that he loved Caitlin, but now that Barry was saying it himself, it meant so much more.  It meant more because when he said it, he wasn't afraid of it.  In fact, he very much liked the idea, if the goofy smile on his face was anything to go by.

For the next few minutes, Barry tried to figure out when he first fell for Caitlin Snow.  Maybe it was when they first held hands as he comforted her about Ronnie, or when she told him that she believed in him.  Maybe it was the night he tucked her into bed and watched over her until she fell asleep or the day she met his dad and hugged him like they had known each other for years.  Maybe, just maybe, it was when she was kidnapped and told Barry not to come for her, putting his safety above her own.  Barry just couldn't be sure.  All he knew was that he _did_ love her and couldn't wait to tell her so.

He quickly looked over his shoulder at the alarm clock on his side table.  It was almost nine o'clock.  Not exactly early, but not too late either.  " _Good.  She should still be awake."_ Barry thought to himself.  Suddenly, he was off the bed and in the shower, moving at hyper speed.  He had worked up quite the sweat with all the running he had done earlier, and even though he showered at the lab before coming home, he figured one more shower couldn't hurt.  A nanosecond passed and Barry was back in his room, fresh and clean and redressed in a green button-down shirt and jeans.  Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he decided his outfit was a bit too formal and changed again...and _again_ and _again_ until he settled on wearing his teal v-neck sweater with a white tee-shirt underneath, skinny jeans, and his favorite pair of converse.

He studied himself in the mirror and silently wondered if this was really a good idea.  What if she doesn't feel the same way?  What if she rejects him?  Barry quickly shook the thoughts away and rolled a few kinks out of his shoulders.  He made a promise.  He wouldn't let the fear of striking out keep him from playing the game, or in this case, keep him from telling Caitlin how he felt.  Being a man of his word and a man in love, he knew he _had_ to do this and the sooner the better.

Barry let out a loud breath and wiped his sweaty palms on his jean clad thighs.  "Well,” He said aloud to the empty room.  "Here goes nothing."  Then, faster than the speed of light, he was outside Caitlin's door.

*****

It was nine o'clock at night, Caitlin was curled up on her living room couch, wearing a baggy pair of flannel pajamas and her hair tossed up into a messy bun.  A bowl of freshly popped popcorn sat on her lap as she sipped on a glass of red wine and waited for the next Hallmark movie to start.  That channel always had a way of sucking her in with all of its super cute rom-coms.  The one starting now was a personal favorite, that she had probably watched at least ten times before, about an aspiring culinary student who gets hired to ghost write a cookbook for a celebrity chef, and while they clash at first, they ultimately fall in love and, of course, live happily ever after. 

Caitlin's old college roommate once told her that she looked exactly like the main girl in the movie, but Caitlin didn't see it.  Although, she did wish her life was like a Hallmark movie sometimes.  They always made true love and happy endings seem so attainable, when in reality, she was pretty sure it was all a myth.  If it wasn't, then Caitlin figured she would still be happily married to Ronnie, and not mourning him for a second time.  Okay, so maybe she wasn't _really_ still in mourning.  After all, it _had_ been six months since Ronnie's death, and Caitlin _did_ feel ready to put herself back out there again in the dating world.  She just wasn't sure if it would be worth it.  It was this thought that kept nagging at Caitlin, worrying her day and night.  Maybe she was just destined to be alone and focus on her work.

Caitlin was half-distracted by her thoughts and half-distracted by her movie, when a knock at the door pulled her back to real life.  After placing her snacks down on the coffee table in front of her, she padded over to the front door.  Checking the peephole, she saw a nervous looking Barry Allen, standing outside.  Caitlin was about to let him in, but as she reached for the door knob, she noticed her flannel sleeve and immediately pulled back, eyes wide like a deer in headlights.  _"I can't let him see me like this!"_ Caitlin inwardly panicked as she gave herself an awkward once over, remembering just how much of a hot mess she looked.  Quickly, she did her best to look presentable.  First, ripping off her button down shirt and tossing it aside, figuring the tight-fitted tank she wore underneath would look more flattering.  Then, she yanked the rubber band from her hair and combed her hands through her thick locks a couple of times to smooth out the kinks.  After taking a deep breath, a thought suddenly occurred to Caitlin.  _"This is Barry.  Why should I care about what he thinks of my sleepwear?"_ Shaking her head at her bizarre reaction, Caitlin finally opened the door.

"Hey, Bare, what's up?"  She greeted with a smile.

"Hey,” He smiled, pausing to take in her sleep attire.  Barry thought the look was cute, attractive even, but what really made him pause was how casually she was dressed.  Every time he saw Caitlin, her outfits resembled something of a high school principal's, very classy and very professional, even on weekends.  The only exception being that black dress she wore months ago, but even that was formal in its own way.  This look that Caitlin had going on now, though, was completely opposite, and Barry completely dug it, secretly hoping to see more of it soon.

"Everything okay?"  Caitlin tried again, pushing some hair behind her ear nervously as she blushed at Barry's blatant ogling.

"Yeah, I mean, no...well, sort of." Barry answered, snapping out of his mini-trance.  "I just really need to talk to you.  Can I come in?"

"Of course."  She replied, opening her door wider and stepping aside so he could enter.  As he crossed the threshold, Caitlin asked, "Can I get you anything?" then quickly thought back to what refreshments she had on hand, other than wine, as she closed the door.

"Just the truth."  Barry stated matter-of-factly, locking eyes with her once more.

"Okay."  Caitlin responded uncertainly, wondering if he was going to ask, yet again, about her unusual behavior as of late.  Barry knew her better than she liked to admit, so he knew when something was up with her.  Caitlin had appreciated his concern, but always denied that something was wrong, not wanting to drag him into her personal problems.  He had always seemed to accept her denial, but maybe this time he was done taking no for an answer.

"Are you over Ronnie?" Barry tossed out quickly before he lost his nerve.

"Excuse me?"  Caitlin replied, caught completely off guard.

Barry suddenly realized how crass his question sounded and tried to amend it.  "I mean, I know you probably still love him and probably always will, but do you think you might be ready to open your heart to someone else?"

"I-I don't know."  Caitlin stuttered.  "Maybe...if I found someone worthy enough."

"Well, would a cute yet dorky CSI who got struck by lightning and gained superhuman powers qualify as worthy?"  Barry queried with a timid smile as he fidgeted apprehensively with his hands.

"I--"  Caitlin started, and then his words suddenly clicked and her confusion turned into shock.  _Wait, what?  Is Barry asking me out?  Do I even want him to be asking me out?_   Suddenly Caitlin found herself thinking back to all the good times she had spent with Barry, and even a few not-so-good times.  He always seemed to be there for her when she needed it, and every time her stomach flip-flopped in response to his sweetness, just like it was doing now.

"Look,” Barry began when Caitlin didn't finish her reply.  "I know this may be a lot for you to take in right now.  It was for me too.  I mean, it took me the better of part of this past year to realize that I had feelings for you, and then all of today to wrap my head around the idea of being in love again, but fortunately I have good friends that helped me to see the truth."  He finished with a small smirk.

"In love again?"  Caitlin nearly whispered, rubbing her arm and biting her lip nervously.

"Yeah."  Barry smiled, stepping forward to close the space in-between them.  "I'm crazy about you, Cait."

Caitlin couldn't help but grin back at that line.  It immediately took her back to that night out that they had and the next day when she had told him that it was time for her to find someone new to be crazy about.  Caitlin had smiled sweetly at him after, hoping Barry would take the hint and take a chance, but he never did.  Then, Ronnie came back, and it didn't matter, but now Ronnie was gone again, this time for good, and Barry was here and ready.

As she debated her next move, Barry continued to speak.  "And you don't have to say anything right now.  Take all the time you need to figure things out.  I just had to come and tell you how I feel because last time I was in this situation, I waited way too long and screwed everything up, and I do _not_ wanna make the same mistake again."  He ended his little speech by tenderly pushing a stray lock of hair back into place behind Caitlin's ear, letting his hand linger a moment on her cheek.  The sensation sent shivers down Caitlin's spine, making her already rapidly beating heart pick up speed.

Shoving his hands into his jeans pockets, he gave one last half-smile before adding, "Well, that's all I wanted to say, so... I guess I'll get going now."  He then turned to make his way back to the door.

 _"Stop him, you idiot!"_ Caitlin inwardly scolded herself, suddenly breaking from whatever mute trance she was in.  "Barry, wait!"  She called out as she moved forward and grabbed him by the forearm. 

Barry stopped mid-step and turned his torso in her direction.  "Yeah?"  He questioned, hopefully.

Instead of giving a verbal answer, Caitlin pulled Barry closer so that their bodies were merely inches apart and moved her other hand to roughly cradle the side of his face, dragging it down quickly toward her own until their lips collided.  The kiss was long and hard and full of passion.  Caitlin never wanted it to end, so she removed her hand from Barry's arm and used it to cup the other side of his face, pulling him in even closer and deepening the kiss.  Barry responded eagerly, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist.

When they finally came up for air, they didn't bother letting go, but instead just stood there in each other's embrace with their foreheads pressed together.  After a second, Caitlin pulled back slightly to look up into his eyes and say, "I love you too."

The truth was that Caitlin fell for Barry a long time ago, and even though Ronnie came back and things changed, her feelings for Barry never did.  They were always there, just locked away and forgotten... until now.

Barry's smile grew even wider, then he kissed her once more, this time even deeper as Caitlin wrapped her arms around his neck and threaded her fingers through his hair.  Barry responded accordingly by letting his hands roam freely around her back.  As he moved his hands upward and massaged her skin through the fabric of her dark gray tank, he realized that she wasn't wearing a bra and began to vibrate with excitement, or at least parts of him did.  Suddenly aware of his reaction, Barry pulled back, deciding things were happening a little too fast.

"As much as I am enjoying this, we should probably slow down." Barry told her, voice a bit husky.

"Says the guy with super speed."  Caitlin quipped.

"Trust me, I am _very_ aware of my powers right now."  Barry asserted, causing a soft giggle to escape from the woman in his arms.  "Seriously, though, I want to do this right, so..."  He paused, removing Caitlin's hands from his neck so he could hold them in his own as he looked into her sparkling eyes and asked, "Caitlin Snow, will you go out on a date with me?"

"I'd love to." She smiled brightly, causing Barry's heart to skip a beat as he returned her smile. 

They proceeded to stand there for a moment, smiling like idiots with hands threaded together at their sides until Barry began to lean in for another kiss.  He was only inches away when Caitlin stopped him, removing one of her hands from his grasp to hold it flatly against his chest in a defensive position.  "I don't think so."  She teased.

"What?  Why?"  Barry queried, furrowing his brow.

"We're taking things _slow_ , remember?"  Caitlin explained, tossing his words back in his face.

"Right."  Barry nodded.  "So, date first, then kissing?"

"Right." She nodded.

"That's fair." He agreed.  "So, you free tomorrow night?" He asked, only half-joking.

"Afraid not."  Caitlin answered.  "How about Friday?"

"Friday it is."  He agreed, reluctantly, not really wanting to wait that long to kiss her again.

"Good.  It's a date."  Caitlin smiled, excited already.

All of a sudden, Barry's phone began to ring.  Fishing it from his pocket with his free hand, he saw the letters CCPD plastered across his screen and reluctantly answered, keeping a hold of Caitlin's hand the whole time with the other.

"Hello...uh huh...uh huh... okay, I'm on my way."  Barry said before ending the call.

"Everything okay?"  Caitlin inquired.

"Work call."  He explained.  "I'm needed at a crime scene."

"I guess crime never sleeps."  She quipped.

"Neither does justice."  He retorted.

Caitlin shook her head playfully then said, "Come on, I'll walk you out."

As she opened the door for Barry, she held out a hand in his direction.

"Um...What are you doing?"  Barry asked, curiously.

"Shaking your hand."  She said simply with a little twinkle in her eye.

"Seriously?" He questioned, fighting the urge to laugh at her.

"Yes, seriously."  Caitlin affirmed, then extended her hand a bit farther and added, "Good night, Mr. Allen."

Deciding to humor her, he shook her hand and said, "Good night, Dr. Snow."

Dropping her hand, he turned and began walking down the hallway toward the stairs.

"Oh, and Barry?" Caitlin called out from the doorway.

"Yeah?"  He asked as he turned to look back at her.

"Remember... good things come to those who wait."  She teased, then bit her lip seductively before closing the door.

Barry just shook his head, then sped home to take a cold shower before heading out to the crime scene.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't hesitate to share your thoughts about this fic! Feedback is always welcome! Also, check out my other stories as well as my tumblr page (also at hoffkk) and let me know what you think! Please and Thank you! Trust me, if you liked this story, then you won't be disappointed.  
> :) ;) :P


End file.
